Construction of the P13.1-billion South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Toll Road 4 (TR4), which will reduce travel to and from Manila and Batangas, Quezon, and Bicol by as much as three hours, is now finally ongoing.
The toll road project, which broke ground on March 26, covers the 66.74-kilometer extension of SLEX from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City, Quezon Province. The project had at least seven groundbreaking ceremonies previously but civil construction has now finally commenced, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“During rush hour, motorists have to endure a long 4-hour drive due to the lengthy and busy Daang Maharlika between Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City, Quezon. This will only take an hour once TR4 is completed,” DPWH secretary Mark Villar said.
He added that TR4 will significantly benefit motorists going in and out of southern provinces especially during the summer and holiday season.
“In 36 months, I am confident we will be back to inaugurate the finished expressway. Under the leadership of President Duterte and Secretary Villar, the TR4 project has become a reality… With this new toll road comes progress. New businesses will emerge and bring growth to the level of small towns and barangays,” Ramon Ang said. Ang is chairman of SLEX TR4 concessionaire South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC).
“We estimate that 17,000 vehicles will pass through the toll road every day,” Ang added.
SLEX TR4 will be implemented by SLTC within four years, divided in six packages: the 11.32-kilometer (km) Package A from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Makban, Laguna; 12.75-km Package B from Makban to San Pablo, Laguna; 7.5-km Package C from San Pablo to Tiaong, Quezon; 15-km Package D from Tiaong to Candelaria, Quezon; 10.21-km Package E from Candelaria to Tayabas, Quezon and the 9.96-km Package F from Tayabas to Lucena City, Quezon.
When completed, it will be four-lane toll road which will have a total of seven interchanges in the following areas: Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Makban, and San Pablo City in Laguna; Tiaong, Candelaria, Tayabas, and Lucena City in Quezon Province.
